Implantable medical devices can be used to provide pacing therapy to patients who have cardiac rhythm problems. For example, an implanted cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device can be used to provide pacing therapy to a patient with sinus node dysfunction, where the heart fails to properly initiate depolarization waves, or an atrio-ventricular conduction disturbance, where the conduction of depolarization waves through the heart tissue is impaired.
Implanted medical devices frequently communicate with devices located outside of the body. Such external interface devices are sometimes capable of one-way communication with the implanted device, such as receiving information from the implanted device including sensor information and information about events, such as when the implanted device has provided therapy. This type of external interface device is sometimes referred to as a communicator, which serves to relay information from the device to a computer system where patient information is collected and utilized.
In some cases, an external interface device is capable of two-way communication with the implanted device and can not only receive information from the implanted device, but can also transmit operational parameters to the implanted device, that is, program the device. This type of interface device can be referred to as a programmer and is typically used by a physician or other caregiver in a clinical or hospital setting.
Sometimes, a communicator-type external interface device is provided for use by a patient, often in a patient's home, and can collect information from the implanted device and provide that information to a computer system designed to monitor the patient's status. An exemplary in-home monitoring system is the LATITUDE® patient management system, available from Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, Mass. Aspects of exemplary in-home monitoring systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,978,182, the content of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The existence of in-home monitoring systems such as the LATITUDE® patient management system has provided a large amount of data about patients with implanted medical devices. For example, these systems store information about patient characteristics, device programming, delivery of therapy by the device, and sensor readings. However, additional data regarding patient outcomes and events would be extremely valuable to the scientists and engineers who design the implanted devices.